Wired News: This Laptop's Too Hot to Handle
I shouldnt get annoyed really, but it does annoy me when apparently intelligent people make the same mistake again and again.
Wired.com's article above about the Swedish engineer who got burnt by his laptop is an example of this.
The writer repeatedly claims the engineer was Swiss. The reuters story that she no doubt got this from says Swedish.
I'm Danish and constantly being called Dutch by Anglo's (That is American's, British, Canadians et al). I dont know what the confusion is? Is it because Danish and Dutch both start with a D? Denmark and Netherlands certainly dont sound the same.
Sweden and Switzerland has got a few more phonetical similarities, but still. She must have read Swedish and thought Swiss.
Other popular confusions are:
Austrians!=Australians
Ghanaian!=Guyanese
The next English person who mistakes me for Dutch will receive a barrage of faux interested questions from me about life in Ireland.
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The only time I mix up Switzerland and Sweden is in Spanish. Suiza and Suecia. I'm still not sure which is which. It's a bitch.
-Russ
Posted by: Russ on November 24, 2002 03:52 AMI do the same thing actually. I always get it wrong in Spanish. It's just to close in pronounciation for comfort.
In writing though I tend to get it right.
I'm German and some Americans (who had allready spent 2 years in Germany!!!!!!!!!!) asked me why we speak Deutsch but live in Germany! I COULD NOT believe it!
A friend of mine was asked (also by Americans) if Germans wear shoes and if we have doctors! They even asked him if Germans have sex! His reply: Duh, we grow on trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What did you think?
You see there's even worse stuff!